New World
by timeywimeyparadox
Summary: When Jedi Padawan Bela Hydis is thrown from her world into another, the only person who can help her is a strange man who calls himself the Doctor. But with a deadly conspiracy taking place in the highest ranks of the Republic, and two important planets and the lives of her friends hanging in the balance, Bela must choose: her world or the Doctor's?
1. Prologue

In an empty London street, late at night, snow gathered on the quiet road, the fence posts, the roofs of the houses. No stars were visible through the clouds, only the falling snowflakes. The complete silence was suddenly broken by a shout in the street, muffled by the soft covering.

"You should have left us there!" a woman in a uniform cried.

"Adelaide, I've done this sort of thing before. In small ways, saved some little people, but never someone as important as you," came the response, from a man in a blue suit and brown trench-coat. "Oh, I'm good."

"Little people? What, like Mia and Yuri? Who decides they're so unimportant? You?" the woman shot back. Her eyes were red, close to tears.

"For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor," replied the man. His face was as cold as the frigid air, a hint of a snarl on his lips. Decades of pain and loss and anger were displayed on his face like a painting. "But I'm not," he continued, madness sparkling in his brown eyes. "I'm the winner. That's who I am. The Time Lord Victorious."

"And there's no one to stop you."  
>"No." The man stared evenly at the distressed woman, unemotional.<p>

"This is wrong, Doctor. I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is wrong," she insisted, her voice rising in pitch.

"That's for me to decide. Now, you'd better get home. Oh, it's all locked up. You've been away," he changed the subject, assuming a forced lightheartedness. "Still, that's easy." He took a small, narrow device from his pocket and pointed it at the door of one of the houses. It swung open without resistance. "All yours."

The woman shook her head, half afraid and half disgusted. "Is there nothing you can't do?"

"Not anymore," he responded darkly.

The woman shook her head again and met his eyes with a sad gaze, before she ran into one of the houses, not bothering to shut the door. A flash of light and energy burst from the dining room window, and then the only sound was a horrible thud on the wooden floor.

The man in the suit stared at the house, his face blank. Then he turned, his face flooding with terror at the sight of a lone figure in the street. Tentacles dangled from the figure's mouth and he held a glowing orb in his smooth pink hand. The man fell to his knees, causing little puffs of snow to rise from the ground.

"I've gone too far," he breathed, staring at the alien like a harbinger of death. "Is this it? My death? Is it time?"

The alien blinked once, his wide almond eyes kind and sympathetic, and faded away into the night. The man hung his head, weak with relief but also racked with guilt, and dragged himself to his feet. Taking one last glance at the dark house with the open door, he pushed open the doors to the old London police box on the curb and vanished inside. He wouldn't ever let anyone know, but right then, he might have been the most scared man in the universe.

Gathering up the last of his courage, he leaned heavily against the wall. A sudden quaking resonated through the entire structure, originating from the cold world outside. Welcoming any excuse to put off what he had to do, he flung open the door and stared at the spectacle that seemed to have appeared in the street.

"What?" He exclaimed, instantly wiping all that had just happened from his face. "What!?"


	2. Death in the Temple

Bela sighed loudly.

"Go to sleep," her friend mumbled from the lower bunk.

"You've said that like five times, Juna!" She couldn't really blame her, though.

"Well, you've woken me up like five times! Shut up, already," Juna muttered. She sounded like she was half asleep, though Bela couldn't see her. Bela turned over again so she could see the window.

It wasn't the flickering lights of Coruscant that bothered her, nor the sound of airspeeders zooming past the Temple. Through the Force, Bela could feel the restless life all over the city-planet. It wasn't always like this. Everyone else could feel it too, the nervous energy that seemed to exude from the very planet, the feeling of the all-too-common hope that the war would soon end being crushed by logic. And, of course, the sense of the Dark Side that had become omnipresent lately.

Flipping away from the window, she shut her eyes. Ignore it. You have to go to sleep, she told herself. She could hear Juna snoring softly again, asleep already. She smothered her face in her blanket and tried to block out the rest of the planet. Deeming her efforts useless just a moment later, she threw her blanket off in frustration and rolled off of her bed.

Being careful not to wake her friend, she tiptoed across the room in her bare feet. No carpet covered the polished stone, and the cold chilled her from the toes up. She eased the door open and slipped into the shadows of the hallway. Padawans weren't supposed to leave their quarters at night, Bela knew. _I only want a drink,_ she reasoned with herself.

Not a sound could be heard as she crept down the hall, silhouetted by the dim yellow light from the window at the end of the hall. She glanced behind her at the sound of an air speeder flying close to the window, the whining quality of the engine telling her it was speeding. Seconds later came the sound of pursuing sirens.

While she was still looking the other way, her foot brushed a loose screw lying on the floor, right outside someone's quarters. She winced as she heard footsteps within the room, hoping it wasn't a Jedi Knight. To her luck, it was just Naris. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. Bela didn't really know the other Padawan that well, but they had trained together in the past. More so before the Council had started allowing the Padawans to fight in the war.

"Bela?" she whispered. Bela nodded.

"I was just going to get a drink," she said quietly.

"Can I come?" Naris asked her. "I can't sleep either." Though her voice was laced with tiredness, it was still silky smooth and gentle as always. Naris hadn't wanted to fight in the war, Bela knew. She had wanted to become a Temple Guard, the Jedi who kept watch over the Jedi Temple. Personally, Bela couldn't disagree more.

Bela nodded again, and they both padded quietly down the hall, side by side. They made their way to the kitchen, being extra quiet when they passed the Masters' quarters. Only at night could Bela ever really appreciate the sounds of the Jedi Temple. She stretched her senses out throughout the building, pausing to listen to the water fall in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It was one of her favourite sounds, next to her lightsaber, of course.

As they neared the kitchen, Bela realized that around the corner voices could be heard, growing louder. With a glance at Naris, Bela hurried around the corner and into a supply closet. She gestured quickly to Naris to follow her. Naris turned on the spot for a second before deciding to run for the closet, but the source of the voices had already gotten too close for her to make it.

"... I can't ... allows it ..." one of the voices muttered, thin and scratchy, as if he had sandpaper for vocal cords.

"We also can't afford ... leave her free-" the other voice, strong and insistent, cut off as the two people noticed Naris, who shrunk back guiltily. Bela's senses revealed to her that they were both Jedi. Their presences felt familiar, both full of command and power, but she couldn't place who they belonged to.

"What are you doing?" one of them asked, the obviously younger one, his words muffled from Bela's hiding spot. She peered out from the closet. Both Jedi wore dark cloaks like hers, their faces turned away from her.

"I... I was just getting a drink, Master," Naris stammered.

"You shouldn't be here. You should be asleep, you have lightsaber drills tomorrow," the younger Jedi scolded. "Go back to bed."

"Yes Master." Naris dipped her head to the Jedi with a glance at Bela. Bela waved her off to her room and ducked back into the closet. The older Jedi whispered something that Bela couldn't hear, but she caught the one word doctor. The younger one nodded and both Jedi continued down another hallway, apparently too focused on their conversation to sense Bela. She pushed open the door and watched them walk down the hallway. The dark corridor lead only to the medbay storage room and one of the back exits, Bela knew. _They were probably sent to get something_. Bela shrugged, and ran lightly back to her room.

Unwilling to risk getting caught, she climbed back into bed without going to talk to Naris. With one last sigh she crawled back under her sheets and returned to staring out the small window. Finally, her brain seemed to recognize her need to sleep as the lights blurred before her eyes, and she slowly drifted off to the constant sound of repulsor engines and honking horns.

* * *

><p>In what felt like no time at all, the sunlight was just starting to come through the window, and it was time to get up for breakfast. Bela rolled out of the top bunk, stopping herself from hitting the ground with just one arm extended and the Force, the only highlight in her early morning routine.<p>

Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she glanced at her watch. She saw the time and immediately scrambled to get dressed in her dark blue jumpsuit. With diamond shaped holes of black mesh down the outside of the arms and legs, and the symbol of the Republic printed in red on the back, it was a fine outfit for the athletic work of the Jedi. Juna was already awake and dressed and grabbing her lightsaber from the nightstand.

"Hurry up!" she called to Bela as she stepped out into the hallway.

"I'm coming, don't worry," Bela replied in a mockingly calming voice.

Bela shrugged on her black robe and jogged down to the cafeteria. Sunlight, reflected off of the mirrors in orbit, streamed through the skylight and the massive windows. It had always confused Bela as to why people would bother going through the trouble of putting up a mirror array in orbit to keep the planet warm enough, rather than just finding another world to turn into a giant city.

Her stomach rumbled at the smells of cooking food that wafted out of the kitchen. Padawans of varying ages and species sat in groups along both sides of the long tables, but Naris sat alone at the very end of the bench, picking at her proteinloaf and looking distressed. Noticing her right away, Bela hurried to claim her share of the remaining food and sat down next to her.

"Hey," she greeted Naris. "So that was pretty weird last night, huh?"

Naris nodded and took a mouthful of food. She glanced at Bela only once, and Bela saw that her eyes were bloodshot, as if she hadn't slept a wink. Her mind was swirling with confusion and trepidation, and Bela, curious by nature, felt the need to know why.

"What's wrong?" Bela asked her.

"Nothing," she mumbled. Bela frowned. Something was definitely wrong.

"You can tell me," Bela assured her. "Nothing will happen, I promise."

The nervous apprentice considered this, glancing around the room, and nodded at last, still chewing. She swallowed and turned back to Bela, grimacing.

"It tastes weird," she complained. Bela bit into her own proteinloaf. It tasted completely normal to her, if a little bland.

"I think you're weird," she teased. "Now who-" She broke off as Naris doubled over in pain, collapsing off the bench. Bela rushed forward and grabbed her. A few Jedi sitting nearby noticed right away and stood up, staring in alarm.

"What's wrong? What is it?" she demanded. More Padawans gathered around Naris's writhing form. She gasped, trying desperately to breathe. Someone ran for the medbay to fetch a medic, having to push their way through the growing crowd. Bela held her in a sitting position, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Tell me what's wrong," she implored. It was clear to her that Naris was dangerously ill, at the least. But instead of answering, Naris' eyes drifted past Bela and widened in fear.

"Careful," she managed to breathe, barely comprehendible. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell limp on the floor. The medic, a young Twi'lek, ran up and checked for a pulse. She straightened up a second later, shaking her head. Murmurs broke out among the crowd. It was already too late. Bela finally turned her head around to see what Naris was so scared of. Idris Dehal stood with her hands linked behind her back, staring at her apprentice's lifeless body with her face blank.

A chill raced down Bela's spine at the way she looked at her. Master Skywalker stood behind Master Dehal, watching as Bela stared at the Padawan's Master. His presence parted the crowd, allowing him to stand over both apprentices. He was serving as Bela's temporary mentor, as her own Master had been injured in the explosion in the Temple.

He looked at Bela, the only other one sitting down, and she was momentarily startled at the intense look in his hazel-brown eyes. She never knew that such a soft colour could look so fierce.

"You know her?" he inquired.

"A bit." Bela glanced down at the lightsaber hanging from Naris's belt. "How could this have happened, Master?" she asked, bewildered. _I'm no expert, but I bet it had something to do with the Jedi in the hallway last night,_ she reflected silently, but doubtful that she should reveal her suspicions out loud.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But we will find out. Now go find your Masters, everyone. You have training to do."

Bela stood up and retreated with a respectful bow. But she was stopped by Master Dehal.

"Exactly how well did you know her?" she questioned with a concerned frown. "Maybe you could help us find the killer. Like, what was Naris doing last night, or before breakfast?"

Bela put on her best innocent face, still unprepared to reveal her suspicions, especially to her. She had a bad feeling about the Jedi Master.

"As far as I know, sleeping," she answered. "Anyway, I'm sure you would be the better person to ask. After all, she was your apprentice."

Idris narrowed her eyes. Master Skywalker glanced over quickly, aware of the sudden tension in the air. Bela turned away and walked quickly to the training room where she was expected. She knows I was lying, she worried. She refused go so far as to acknowledge her suspicions, even to herself, that Naris's Master was the one who poisoned her. Normally it would sound insane, but unfortunately traitors were becoming more and more common among the Jedi. And maybe Master Dehal was in league with the two Jedi Naris saw last night. Maybe they didn't want Naris to tell anyone who they were, or what she might have heard them say. _Maybe they weren't Jedi at all._ She shoved it out of her mind as Master Skywalker walked up to her in the lightsaber training room.

"The medics are examining Naris's body," he told her grimly. "It looks like poison."

"Do you have any suspects yet?" Bela inquired, anxious to know exactly who she could trust.

"None yet," he replied. The swoosh of the doors announced the arrival of her training partners and their Masters. Coco Breyer, Bela's cousin, entered first, looking very eager to begin. Her Master, Danny Redd, followed, significantly more mellow than his apprentice. Bela smiled at her and gave a little wave, once again admiring how she never seemed to lose that childlike sense of excitement, no matter how old she got. Coco sped up into a jog, her simple brown robe trailing through the air behind her.

Coco's sister, Hannah Breyer, and Master Kenobi came in their wake. Hannah smiled at them, but didn't change pace. Her tan robe stayed perfectly settled over her creamy white jumpsuit.

Master Kenobi was only filling in as Hannah's Master for Kihan Ferren, who was also recovering from the explosion. From what Bela had heard, he was lucky to be alive, having been just preparing his fighter when the nano-droids blew up.

Though Bela was excited, it saddened her to think about why the two famous Masters were actually free to teach them. Anakin's padawan, Ahsoka Tano, had left the Jedi after Barriss had framed her for the explosion, and Obi-Wan had been assigned to keep an eye on him. So the rumours said, at least.

Hannah and Coco jogged up to Bela and exchanged quick hellos. It was rare for a Jedi to have relatives in the Temple, rarer still that they had the chance to see each other, especially in war-time. Obi-Wan cleared his throat.

"Today, you three will be sparring with each other," he informed them. "We thought it would be a good challenge, since you've known each other for a very long time."

Bela grinned in anticipation. Coco exchanged a challenging glance with Bela, and Hannah just stood there looking like she couldn't possibly lose. Though quite different in personality, the three had been best friends almost since they were born.

"You may begin," he called once the Masters were a safe distance from the three Padawans. In an instant all three of them had their training lightsabers activated. Coco had two, held in a defensive position in front of her. Hannah's weapon was long, both in its hilt and its blade. An uncommon choice, but effective nonetheless.

Hannah and Coco went at each other right away, but Bela sprang backward and out of the way to assess the situation. Hannah sent Coco flying across the room with the Force without a single blow being delt, and turned to Bela. She rushed forward and swung at her legs, but Bela hopped over the blade and swiped at Hannah's torso. She barely got her blade up in time to block the strike. Bela disengaged just in time to parry both of Coco's lightsabers, who had jumped back into the fight. She flipped backward as Hannah tried again for a hit, but her lightsaber connected with Coco's thigh instead. Coco grunted and sunk to the floor, not hurt, but given a powerful shock by the training lightsaber.

Bela landed behind Hannah and jabbed straight for her back. She twisted out of the way as Coco dragged herself away from the duel to recover. Bela had to take moment to laugh at the way Coco's leg refused to move at all, acting more like jelly than flesh and bone. Even Coco was giggling, despite the uncomfortable tingling sensation that would surely be racing up her leg.

The two apprentices left charged at each other and locked blades, pushing as hard as they could. Remembering a tactic she had practised the other day, Bela suddenly switched off her lightsaber and kneed Hannah in the stomach when she stumbled forward, not too hard. Sensing Coco with the Force, Bela spun away from the younger apprentice, who was back up on her feet.

Obi-Wan nodded approvingly to Anakin over in the seating area. Coco continued through to Hannah rather than engage Bela, who had already proven difficult to take on. But she didn't swing her weapon at Hannah, speaking quickly to her instead. Hannah nodded and they both turned to face Bela. _Obviously they've formed a temporary alliance to get rid of me_, Bela assessed with a little smile. She was always one to appreciate tactics, enemy or not.

They ran at her at the same time. Master Skywalker watched intently, wondering how the apprentice would react to two opponents. Bela's eyes blazed at the challenge. Coco attacked first, both her lightsabers whirling. Bela slashed at one of them and grabbed the wrist holding the other in one smooth movement. With a squeeze and a twist, one of the lightsabers lay on the ground. Bela flung it far across the room, an attempt to delay her. Hannah came darting in with her blade held at the ready. Bela was still holding Coco back with hers, so she ducked under Hannah's first strike and tripped her with a foot.

With Hannah in between her and Coco, she pulled her lightsaber away and put some distance between her and the sisters. Coco charged right away without waiting for Hannah, and Bela did a spin kick for her wrist, sending her only remaining lightsaber flying away. Bela jabbed her quickly and turned her attention to Hannah, breathing hard now. Hannah came flying in with a flurry of strikes that Bela easily blocked every time, but Hannah was stronger, and her hard hits drove Bela back towards the wall. A particularly hard swing knocked her lightsaber away, and Hannah pulled it onto her belt hook.

Bela backed up against the wall, trying to figure out what to do. It was only training, she knew, but Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker were watching. It wasn't often that two Jedi Masters, both on the Jedi Council, watched a training session, and Bela wanted to impress them. Hannah raised her lightsaber, and on impulse Bela raised both her hands and blasted her away with the Force. She pulled her lightsaber back into her hand and switched it on again.

Hannah barely managed to land on her feet, stumbling into a crouch as she tried to keep her balance, and Bela leaped across the room to finish her off. Hannah blocked her first strike and scrambled up. They took turns jabbing and slicing at each other, impossibly fast, until Hannah dove for Bela's legs and Bela jumped over her, laying her lightsaber right on her spine as she landed. Hannah sprawled on the ground, almost paralysed by the direct hit. Coco, having been hit twice, didn't try to attack again.

Bela looked up at the Masters. Master Kenobi nodded, signalling the fight was over. Bela helped Hannah onto her feet and the three apprentices padded over to their Masters, sweaty and breathing hard.

"Well done, all of you," Anakin congratulated. "Especially you, Bela."

Bela smiled and Coco high-fived her, never one to be a bad sport. Just then, the doors woodshed open and Master Dehal came in.

"Master Yoda sent me," she told them as she approached. "He said I should come help with training, as I no longer have an apprentice to train."

She said it so casually, with barely a hint of emotion, that Bela was instantly suspicous all over again.

"I'm sorry about Naris," Anakin apologized. "And I'm afraid we just finished up. We're taking it light today. The Padawans have been assigned to a mission for tomorrow."

"Surely one more spar couldn't hurt? I've heard good things about this one." She eyed Bela as one might a rare species of bug.

"Do you think you're ready to take on a Jedi Knight?" Anakin challenged Bela. She nodded eagerly, immediately feeling refreshed. Hannah glanced at her in envy, but it didn't last long.

"Think you're up to it, Master Dehal?" Obi-Wan inquired. She nodded. Bela froze. _What if she tries to kills me? _

"Good luck," he wished Bela as she walked over to the middle of the room. Seeing the cold look in Idris' grey eyes, not one speck of grief for her Padawan that she had trained for years, Bela was forced to acknowledge the possibility that she really had killed Naris, and with that came a surge of anger. _How could she kill her own Padawan? She never did anything!_ Bela gritted her teeth, trying to hide her anger and disgust for the Jedi. But despite her efforts, Idris narrowed her eyes in suspicion, clearly noticing her change of mood.

"You know, apprentice," she said, too quiet for the other Masters to hear. "If you know anything about Naris, you should most definitely speak up."

"As should you," Bela hissed back, igniting her lightsaber. Idris's eyes flared with anger, but fear as well. A flare of triumph filled her, seeing this.

"Go ahead," Master Kenobi shouted. Master Dehal turned on her lightsaber and immediately swung hard at Bela. Bela's bright blue blade intercepted her yellow one with a spark of light and energy. She was glad that they were using their own lightsabers. The training ones didn't fit her hand quite like her own did.

Idris pulled back and jabbed forward for Bela's stomach, who twisted out of the way and sliced down for her exposed back. Idris backfliped away from the strike and shoved out her hand, trying to push Bela over with the Force. Bela raised her hand and pushed back, straining to hold her ground against the fully-trained Jedi knight. She barely remembered to breathe as she struggled not to move the slightest bit. The Masters' eyes widened as they saw that Bela was forcing Master Dehal back, despite her efforts. Her left foot slipped just a tiny bit, but it was enough of a falter that she was sent tumbling through the air several meters.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bela caught Master Windu come in the room. All three Masters crowded around him to hear what he had to say. Bela swallowed hard. There weren't any Masters watching the fight anymore. Bela turned back to see Idris flying back at her. She pounded her blade against Bela's with renewed vigour, and Bela was too light to absorb the hit. She fell backward on the floor and Idris went for another hit, leaning all her weight against her lightsaber. Bela blocked, but she was too heavy. Both blades started to inch slowly towards Bela's neck.

Coco stood up in alarm in the seating area, but Hannah pushed her back down. It was, after all, just a training fight. She glanced at the masters, worried. Bela squirmed under Idris' weight, trying to push the blade away. She gasped as it drew near enough to her neck that she could feel the heat coming from the lightsabers. Struck with a desparate idea, Bela twisted her feet into a painful position under Master Dehal's stomach and launched her over her head. She landed on her back, winded.

Bela struggled onto her feet, panting. _She can't kill me here. She's just trying to scare me_, she told herself. Idris climbed back on her feet and approached Bela with her lightsaber whirling. Bela jabbed for her midsection, hoping it would force her to spin away and turn her back. She did spin away, but she brought her lightsaber up over her head in the process, so Bela couldn't land a kick on her back. As soon as she had finished her spin, she whipped her lightsaber straight down, the tip gouging a shallow wound all the way down Bela's left arm that cauterized immediately. Bela clenched her teeth on a scream of pain. With the pain, though, came a surge of adrenaline and anger.

Fed up with Idris playing with her, Bela slammed her blade against Idris'. She just barely blocked in time and launched herself into a back handspring to gain some space. But Bela kept after her, and soon they batted at each other in a duel of speed, blocking and spinning so fast their blades blurred into cages of light.

Bela was completely tuned to the Force, sensing Idris' every move, while Idris grew increasingly frustrated and desparate. Finally she left a gap in her defences too big, and Bela seized the opportunity. She darted forward and grabbed her wrist, twisting it hard in the same technique that worked against Coco. Idris winced and dropped her lightsaber, and Bela kicked her hard in the stomach, sending her sprawling on her back. By the time she was able to focus, Bela already had the tip of her lightsaber at Idris' throat. She lay flat on her back, staring at Bela, trying to judge what to do. With her blood still burning with anger, Bela took a deep breath and turned off her lightsaber, making the decision for her, and walked away.


	3. Traitor

The Masters were still huddled around Windu, so Bela snuck past them and shrugged on her robe to hide the small but painful wound. Hannah and Coco ran up to her.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Coco questioned, her eyes wide with concern. Bela waved dismissively, as if to say nothing was wrong.

"Don't let her see you talk to me," she hissed under her breath. Coco's expression turned alarmed, but she backed off. The Masters, done their conversation, gathered around Bela.

"So? How did it go?" Anakin wondered. Bela looked at her feet, wondering what to say, but Idris beat her to it.

"Bela fought very well," she praised the apprentice, back to being the composed Jedi Master. "She won. She was a worthy opponent."

Master Skywalker smiled proudly, despite the fact that Bela wasn't actually his Padawan. Obi-Wan threw him a gently reprimanding glance, clearly telling him not to get attached to her. Danny had his attention turned to Coco, having noticed how she stared anxiously at Bela as she waited to hear what she had to say.

"You three were friends with Naris?" Master Windu asked. Bela nodded, willing with all her might for Hannah and Coco to do the same. To her luck, they seemed to get the point.

"Then I suppose you'll want to know what we have discovered regarding her death," he continued. "It was a dose of a powerful poison mixed with the latest bacta shipment. Apparently Naris received a bacta bandage this morning that was tainted. That was the only treatment using the new bacta so far."

Bela's eyes hardened. She dared not look at Idris, but stared at the floor, theories and suspicions turning in her mind.

"You've done very well," Obi-Wan congratulated, breaking the solemn silence. "Go, take the rest of the day off."

Hannah and Coco broke into grins, for that was a very rare treat for a Jedi. The Masters Dehal, Redd and Kenobi left for the Grand Council room, talking quietly among themselves. Bela caught her name thrown out among the conversation and was instantly tempted to listen in, but other matters pressed on her mind.

Down the hallway in the opposite direction, Hannah and Coco headed for Bela's quarters instead of their own. Before they could get far, Anakin touched Bela's shoulder, intending to give a personal congratulations, but stopped when Bela's face twisted in pain. Hannah and Coco froze about a meter away and turned around.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned.

"It's nothing," Bela dismissed. Anakin reached out and pulled her robe down past her shoulder. Her jumpsuit was torn and melted in a line down to her elbow, the flesh underneath scarred and burnt, with a faint smell of cooking meat. He pulled back, thoroughly surprised.

"How did this happen?" he demanded. "Surely Master Dehal didn't do this?"

Bela nodded, still unsure of how much she should say. She glanced around, wondering if they were alone.

"It was just an accident." She shuffled her feet. She honestly didn't know if she was telling the truth or not, and she hoped that would be enough to hide her suspicions from Anakin's senses. "It was my fault, I just got in the way." Taking the blame so completely made her cringe inwardly. It felt like admitting she wasn't as good as Anakin had thought.

"Really? That doesn't sound like you," he pondered. Bela waited apprehensively to see whether he would suspect anything.

"Anyway, go to the medbay. Get that treated," he said, adding, "Make sure you don't use the tainted bacta!"

Bela nodded over her shoulder as she and her cousins walked away. Anakin might not have seen through her, but they certainly had.

"So what really happened?" Hannah asked. "Don't deny it," she protested as Bela opened her mouth with a look of denial on her face. "We watched her fight you."

Bela sighed, realizing that her half-developed skepticism that Master Dehal killed Naris, even backed up by the vicious fight, was not worth sharing fully yet. In such times of war and treason, she knew, it might well be regarded as treachery against the Republic.

"I can't tell you everything," she warned them. "Not yet. But be careful, okay? That was no accident."

"Don't worry. We believe you," Coco reassured her, acting confident despite the nervousness in her eyes. After all, it was a grim prospect indeed, that a Jedi Master had turned traitor.

"We'll do what we can to help," Hannah told her, obviously having caught on to the connections forming in Bella's mind.

Bela stopped, having reached the medbay, and smoothed her robe down before entering. She was greeted by the Jedi Healer's Padawan, Reeda Furtulli, a young Rodian. She escorted Bela inside, and Hannah and Coco followed behind.

"What is the matter?" she inquired of Bela. Bela took her robe off, exposing the damaged skin. Her big black eyes grew even wider, wondering how an apprentice could have managed to get a wound like that safe in the Temple. But instead of asking, she just ushered Bela to one of the seats and went to get a bacta bandage, making sure to use the old batch rather than the new one. Hannah leaned in close to Bela's ear.

"Why are you so excited?" she whispered, sensing her nervous energy.

"Master Windu said that the poison was mixed with the bacta to get it into the Temple," Bela recounted. "Whoever mixed in the poison couldn't have done it inside the Temple, they would have had to do it before it left the factory, because all the shipments are guarded from then on. That means they would have to have an agreement with the factory director, or they broke in. Either way, that means there should be some delivery record or something, even security footage, and it'll lead us to them."

Hannah's eyes lit up as she got on the same page. Reeda came back with a bacta patch, peeled back the jumpsuit from the swollen flesh and pressed the bandage down her arm. With the pain subsiding, Bela slowly became aware of another presence, coming from a close by room. Suddenly feeling very exposed, Bela stood up and took her lightsaber off her belt, and slowly approached the back door that lead to the Healer's quarters. Rummaging noises came from inside.

"Who's in there?" she whispered to Reeda, who looked quite bewildered by the whole situation.

"Just... Just Master Dee, I think" she replied quietly, smart enough to take a hint. "Why? What's wrong?"

Bela reached for the handle as the noises stopped abruptly, but Reeda stopped her.

"You shouldn't just enter. Here, I'll get her for you." Reeda opened the door confidently and stepped in, shutting it behind her. A second later there was a pound on the door and a gasp of pain, followed by a thud and a shatter of glass. The entire thing was over faster than it had begun. Bela grabbed the handle and yanked on the door, but it was locked. She jammed her lightsaber into the metal and dragged it in a circle big enough to walk through. She kicked the cutout in and stepped through.

The one window in the room was broken from the inside, a filing cabinet tipped over, files spilled everywhere. Reeda lay on her back on the floor, her eyes staring dully at the ceiling. A smoking hole over her heart revealed where the assailant had struck her. Blood trickled out of the wound, the lightsaber not enough to seal it fully.

"Reeda! What do we do?" Coco exclaimed. Though shocking, Bela couldn't really pertain to feeling much at all at the sight of the body. The war had long since taken that away. Bela made her way carefully around the room, scouring every inch.

"She's dead." Bela stopped walking and heaved the cabinet upright with the Force. She rooted through the drawers, searching for any evidence as to what was going on. Finding nothing of importance, she looked out of the window. Bits of glass littered the smooth metal rooftop, glittering in the sun, looking tiny from a hundred feet away. An image of the assailant popped into Bela's head, smashing the window and hurling themself onto the roof below, a drop only a Jedi could survive.

"We have to get Master Skywalker," Hannah said urgently.

"No!" Bela protested. "A Jedi did this, and I think I know who. We can't tell anyone."

"Why?" Coco asked. She looked pointedly at Reeda. "I'd say this is worth the Council's attention."

"If we tell the Jedi, Master Dehal will hear about it," she explained. "And then we're dead."

This required no clarification for Hannah and Coco. They both understood where Bela was coming from. Bela looked down at her feet, as she often did when trying to think of a plan, and noticed a slip of paper on the floor. She bent down and picked it up, flipping it over to read the print.

"Incoming shipment 144678 from Thyferra, authorized by Chancellor Palpatine," she read the first line out loud. "It's the order form from the last batch of bacta."

"What?" Hannah snapped her head up from examining a piece of equipment.

"It looks like whoever added the poison did it at the factory on Thyferra," Bela said, knowing from the Senate stamp that it had been brought in perfectly legally. She shook her head, conflicted. "What now?" In a sudden surge of anger, she kicked the filing cabinet hard.

"Why should we even have to do this? How did we get sucked into this?" She sat down on the cabinet. "We're only apprentices."

"If we found some actual evidence that Master Dehal was guilty, we could let the Council deal with this," Coco pointed out mildly. "Maybe if we went to Thyferra we could find some?"

Bela frowned and shook her head after a moment's consideration.

"It's not safe," she asserted. "A Padawan couldn't get a ship out of here anyway: remember what Master Kenobi said? We don't have a choice. We have to just forget about it. If we lay low-"

Just then, Obi-Wan came running in, followed by Master Dehal. The three apprentices froze guiltily, hoping that they didn't hear them even considering leaving the Temple without permission, but the Masters didn't seem to notice, focused on the wreckage of the office and the dead Padawan.

"What happened here?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"I came here to get my wound treated, like you said Master," Bela explained, rather relieved that he had showed up to take care of the situation. "But we heard someone in the office. Reeda went to check, and they killed her and jumped out the window."

Master Dehal headed over to the office to confirm her account of the events. She pursed her lips, looking discouraged.

"Two attacks in one day," she sighed. "Did you see who it was? Where is Master Dee?"

"Reeda said that Master Dee was the only one in the room, but I don't know for sure," Bela said, uncomfortable with what that could mean, considering Master Dehal clearly hadn't done it this time. She was standing right there. Although, I suppose she could have hired someone... Master Kenobi glanced at Hannah and Coco for confirmation, and they both nodded. Master Dehal took the opportunity to volunteer a theory.

"Perhaps this is the same person who killed Naris," she speculated. "Trying to get rid of the evidence." She raised her eyebrow at Bela.

Obi-Wan entered the torn-up room and started to root through the filing cabinets, slamming them shut when he failed to find whatever he was looking for. Bela gave him a strange look, wondering what had been in the cabinet that was so important.

"They took the shipping order," he said, answering her unspoken question. Blushing just a bit, she shoved the order form deeper into her pocket. Coco widened her eyes and gestured at Bela, trying to tell her to hand it over. Bela shook her head forcefully. The Masters took no notice of the exchange.

"Thank you, Padawans," Master Dehal said after clearing her throat. "Master Kenobi and I must return to the Council. They will want to know about this."

She left the room with a polite nod.

"Here." Obi-Wan handed Bela a stack of credits. "Take these credits and get dinner somewhere else. It's clear now that there is a traitor in our midst, and that might make you a target. Make sure you don't get followed, and stay alert for danger."

Bela felt a twinge of annoyance, knowing from then on they would be told nothing further about the murders. She couldn't pretend she had exactly wanted to deal with it alone, though.

Bela beckoned to Hannah and Coco to follow her to the hangar, where they picked out a speeder.

"Well. What do you want to eat?" Bela inquired of her cousins.

"I have no idea," Coco replied. "Is there even somewhere around here?" None of them had eaten out on Coruscant for a long time, longer than they could remember.

"I don't know." After a few more moments of indecision, Bela made the call for them that they would drive around and find something. Anything, she insisted.

"It doesn't even matter. I'm starving!"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the Council room, Master Kenobi made his report to Master Yoda and the Jedi Council.<p>

"No, Master. There was no evidence of who was in the office. Akeela Dee is still missing," he told the assembled Jedi Masters. "But they took the order form for the latest shipment of bacta, the one containing the poison."

"Maybe they were trying to cover up the evidence," Anakin suggested, his voice darkened with suspicion. "Perhaps there was something there that betrayed how it happened." His eyes lit up in realization. "If we had the batch number, we could get a sample from the factory on Thyferra. They test every batch before it leaves."

"Except now we don't," Master Windu finished his thought.

"It doesn't matter," Master Plo spoke up. "I am sure the factory will have a copy of the order. We must begin investigations quickly, before the assailant strikes again."

Silence fell over the Jedi Masters as Master Yoda gestured for quiet. He frowned with his chin resting on his hand, deep in thought.

"Correct, Master Plo is," he agreed. He turned to Obi-Wan, sitting next to Anakin. "Tomorrow, take the apprentices to Thyferra, you will. Find out who did this, you must. Though fear, I do, for Padawan Hydis and her friends, too involved they are, and see this through, they must."

"If I may speak, Master Yoda?" Master Dehal took a step away from the wall she had been leaning on. Though she wasn't on the Council, she had been allowed to attend the meeting as a witness. With a slight frown, he nodded for her to continue. "I believe this decision is a mistake. What proof do we have that these apprentices are trustworthy? Who is to say that they weren't behind the attacks? We have only their word on the matter. And if I could make a correction," she turned to Obi-Wan and Anakin, who stared in surprise at the accusations she threw at the three Padawans, "one other thing was taken from the office. Padawan Hydis' medical file. Now who would want that, unless there was something someone didn't want us to see?"

"Like what?" Anakin protested after a moment of stunned silence. "I'm sorry Idris, but it just doesn't make sense," he interrupted when she opened her mouth to respond.

"If they are indeed the traitors," Master Plo said firmly. "Then Thyferra is where they will reveal themselves. Then we will see"

With her argument clearly crushed, Idris slunk back to her spot against the wall, casting glances at the door every now and then, as if she couldn't wait to leave. Some of the other Jedi continued to stare contemptuously at her, but she avoided their gazes.

"Continue as planned, the mission will. No reason, we have yet, for distrusting them," Yoda decided. "And dismissed, this meeting is."


End file.
